MEASUREMENT OF THE LIFETIME OF MINORITY CURRENT CARRIERS IN SEMICONDUCTORS BY OBSERVING THE PHOTOCONDUCTIVE DECAY OF THE SPREADING RESISTANCE UNDER A POINT CONTACT.

Descriptive Note:

Research translation,

Corporate Author:

EMMANUEL COLL BOSTON MASS ORIENTAL SCIENCE LIBRARY

Personal Author(s):

Report Date:

1966-02-01

Pagination or Media Count:

30.0

Abstract:

The paper describes a new method for measuring the lifetime of minority current carriers in semiconductors by observing the photoconductive decay of the spreading resistance under a point contact. The method has the following advantages 1 it is not necessary to cut the specimen into a special form 2 no fixed electrode has to be attached to the specimen 3 it is applicable to testing inhomogeneous specimens 4 no particular surface treatments is necessary 5 the apparatus used is simple and easy to operate 6 the accuracy obtained is sufficient. The paper also gives a theoretical analysis of the effects of the surface recombination velocity and of the varying absorption depth of the light in the specimen. Experimental data on Ge and Si specimens are discussed. The results are in agreement with those obtained by other methods. Author